Intravenous injector adapter



Aug 7, 1956 R. w. OGLE INTRAVENOUS INJETOR ADAPTER Y A M. 2 w

med Maren 14, 1955 0u/ M ,Qrfaes/Ef/.s'

United States Patent O IN'IRAVENOUS INJECTOR ADAPTER Robert W. Ogle, Malibu, Calif.

Application March 14, 1955, Serial No. 493,954 4 Claims'. (cl. 12s-214) This invention relates to apparatus for the intravenous injection of medical uids and more particularly to an adapter for use with respect to such intravenous injection sets permitting the adaptation of the device to dispensing containers of the type having a stopper provided with a single central opening such as is common in the commercial systems known as Fenwal or American Hospital Supply Company systems.

While there are existing devices suitable for this purpose it has been noted that the air inlet means of existing devices is so arranged in many cases so that in response yto a reduced pressure in the container a sudden surge or series of bubbles of air will be drawn into the container with an audible sound. While there is no common physical harm resulting from this sudden surge of air into the dispensing bottle it is commonly known that it is kdangerous to inject into the body of a patient and particularly directly into the veins of a patient any substantial quantity of air, and the patient receiving the injection when seeing and hearing this sudden surge of air into the bottle often becomes worried and suffers distinct psychological etfects.

It is accordingly one object of this invention to provide and adapter of the type described, having what is termed a cavitation chamber capable of reducing and eliminating the sudden surge of air above referred to.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a device of the type described which is simple and economical to manufacture being formed for the most part entirely of a molded plastic material reducing the cost of the device to a point which renders it feasible to use the device only once and then discard it.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the next specification in which:

Figure 1 is a side view partly in section of the device embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a section taken along the line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section taken along the line 3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section taken along the line 4 4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a section taken along the line 5 5 of Figure l.

Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the adapter per se.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is shown a container 10 having a rubber stopper 11 provided with a single central hole 12. An adapter 13 extends into the hole 12 and is provided with a longitudinal extending tapered passage 14 in which is cemented the needle-like portion 15 of a drip meter 16. As is common the drip meter is connected by a tube 17 provided with a clamp 18 to a connector 19 adapted to receive an administration needle 20.

'Ihe adapter 13 is manufactured of two separate plastic parts 21 and 22 which are cemented together in the rice nal assembly. Part 22 comprises essentially a disk 23 having a pair of depending pins 24 and 25 and a depending annular ring 26 and an upstanding cylindrical hollow tube 27 as most clearly shown in Figure 6.

The part 21 comprises a single piece of plastic material constituting a base portion 28 in the form of a hollow cylinder and an upper portion 29 also in the form of a cylinder but having its center oifset from the center of the cylinder 28 as shown in Figures 5 and 6,

The base portion 28 is provided with a tapered opening 30 connecting with an opening 31 in the upper portion 29. The opening 31 is adapted to receive the annular ring 26 when the parts 21 and 22 are assembled together and the interior of the ring 26 is beveled to the same degree as the opening 30 so that the opening 30 and the interior of the ring 26, when joined together, form the tapered opening 14 which is adapted to receive the needle-like portion 15 of the drip meter 16.

The base member 28 is provided with a pair of strengthening ears 32 and 33 and with a laterally extending portion 34 having a bore 35. The upper portion 29 is provided with a pair of holes 36 and 37 extending only part way therethrough and with a bore 38 communicating with the bore 35. Bore 38 is enlarged as at 39 and provided with a tapered seat 40 for a ball valve 41.

When the parts 21 and 22 are assembled the annular ring 26 ts in the opening 31, the pins 24 and 25 are seated respectively in the holes 36 and 37 with the disk 22 spaced from the top of the cylinder 29 as most clearly shown in Figure l. lt will be appreciated that before assembling the two parts together the ball valve 41 is placed upon the valve seat 40 and is retained thereafter in the device as the space between the disk 22 and the top of the cylinder 39 is insutl'icient to permit the ball to escape from the region of the valve seat but is suicient to allow the ball to raise from the seat when required. The bore 35 conventionally houses a Wad of absorbent cotton 42 acting as an air filter.

When the device is assembled, as shown in Figure l and inserted in the hole 12 of the stopper 11 and the clamp 18 is relaxed, uid in the bottle 10 will pass down the needle-like portion 15 into the drip meter 16 hence through the tube 17 to the administration needle 29. This will cause a reduction of pressure within the bottle 10 suliicient to unseat the ball 41 from the seat 40. Air is thus drawn through the bores 35 and 38 into the cavitation chamber. This cavitation chamber is formed by the walls of the hole 12 of the stopper 11 and the spaced apart disk 22 and the top of cylinder 39. Air coming from the bore 3S lls this cavitation chamber and circulates across the top of the cavitation chamber to the tube 27 from which it emerges into the bottle 10.

While it is impossible at this time to state exactly the reason for the result achieved, tests have shown that this particular arrangement has resulted in a continual uniform bubbling of the air into the bottle and the elimination of any sudden bursts of air into the bottle. This effect is believed to be a function of the cavitation chamber though it is impossible at this time to assign an exact explanation therefor.

While there has been described what is at present considered a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the essence of the invention and it is intended to cover herein all such changes and modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for intravenous administration of iluids an adapter for insertion into the single hole of a single hole stopper of a bottle comprising: an upper avsmvo disk like portion and a lower portion; a .spacer means extending between said two portions; said two portions being spaced apart to form an open transverse passage; said top and bottom portions having a longitudinal tapered opening adapted to receive the tapered inner end of a drip meter to form `a continuous `fluid outlet; said bottom portion having a laterally extending boss provided with a bore and a second longitudinally extending bore communicating with said rst bore; said second bore being enlarged at its inner end and provided with a tapered valve seat and communicating with said transverse passage; a ball arranged on said seat; a hollow tube extending inwardly from said upper portion and communicating with said transverse passage.

2. In an apparatus for intravenous administration of uids an adapter for insertion into the single hole of a single hole stopper of a bottle comprising: an upper disk like portion and a lower portion; a spacer means extending between said two portions; said two portions being spaced `apart to form an open transverse passage; said top and bottom portions having a longitudinal tapered opening adapted to receive the tapered inner end of a drip meter to form a continuous fluid outlet; said bottom portion having a laterally extending boss provided with a bore and a second longitudinally extending bore communicating with said tirst bore; said second bore being enlarged at its inner end and provided with a tapered valve seat and communicating with said transverse passage; a ball arranged on said seat; a hollow tube extending inwardly from said upper portion and communicating with said transverse passage, at a point spaced laterally from said second bore.

3. In an apparatus for intravenous administration of tluids an adapter for insertion into the single hole of a single hole stopper of a bottle comprising: an upper disk like portion and a lower portion; a spacer means extending between said two portions; said two portions being spaced apart to form an open transverse passage;

said top and bottom portions having a longitudinal tapered opening adapted to receive the tapered inner end of a drip meter to form a continuous uid outlet; said bottom portion having a laterally extending boss provided with a bore and a second longitudinally extending bore communicating with said trst bore; said second bore being enlarged at its inner end and provided with a tapered valve seat and communicating with said transverse passage; a ball arranpd on said seat; said portions being spaced apart a distance insuicient to allow said ball to escape from s'ald enlarged bore; a hollow tube extending inwardly trom said upper portion and communicating with said transverse passage, at a point spaced laterally from said second bore.

4. In an apparatus for intravenous administration of lluids an adapter for insertion into the single hole of a single hole stopper of a bottle comprising: an upper disk like portion and a lower portion; a spacer means extending between said two portions; said two portions being spaced apart to forman open transverse pas sage; said top and bottom portions having a longitudinal tapered opening adapted to receive the tapered inner end of a drip meter to form a continuous tiuid oiet; said bottom portion having a laterally extending boss provided with a bore and a second longimdinnlly extending bore communicating with said first bore; said second bore being enlarged at its inner end and pnevided with a tapered valve seat and communicating with said transverse passage; a ball arranged on said seat; a hollow tube extending inwardly from said upper portion and communicating with said transverse passage, at a point spaced laterally from said second bore; said int and second bores, said transverse passage and said hollow tube, when said adapter is inserted into said single hole in said stopper constituting la tortous air iniet passage.

No references cited. 

